paths of greatness.

I've decided that I want to use this blog as a productive platform for once. I am working on law school applications, and one thing that I am determined to do is to make my applications specific to the schools so they stand out. Plus, this forces me to really look at the schools carefully so I know I am applying for good reasons. I have about eight schools total on my list, but I am primarily looking at three, all of which are in the Chicago area. The more I research each of the three, the more they all look incredible to me and my goals for going back to school. Let me tell you about each of them; this will help me keep them clear, articulate why they are each great, and give some insight as to my true desire to go to law school.

Chicago- Kent (part of Illinois Institute of Technology)

This school is located in the heart of the Loop and has immensely appealing programs in Child and Family Law as well as its legal writing program. Child and Family Law (or C/F as I'll refer to it from here on) is the field of law specifically focused on the needs of juveniles and family matters, ranging from domestic abuse to child custody to juvenile advocacy. While I could never see myself wanting to work with divorce clients, the rest of the field is appealing to me because it works with children and provides opportunity to work in education law. Chicago-Kent has a dual degree program where you can receive a J.D./LL.M in family law (the LL.M is sort of like a certificate/masters program in a specific area of law). This means your clinicals and field experiences are all with organizations and groups that focus on family law. So, by attending Chicago-Kent and pursuing this program, I would be working with the demographic of clients that I feel I can best help.

The other draw to Chicago-Kent is its legal writing program. It is one of the best in the nation and competes with the likes of Harvard. Most law schools require first-year students to enroll in a legal writing course. Chi-Kent follows this pattern, but also requires students to take legal writing in their second and third years. So, students walk away with the skills to be concise and effective in legal writing, which sets the stage for them to do judicial clerkships which is something I would love to do. Clerkships mean you work with a judge and write opinions on cases, so you have a very tangible effect on some of the most important decisions coming out of our judicial system. Tie this in with education law, and you've got a recipe for some actual change in the way our country views education. Can I get an AMEN?

DePaul University College of Law

I love almost everything I've learned about DePaul. It has an extensive alumni network and a definite presence in the Chicago legal field. This bodes well in this market because it means I have better job prospects after graduation, particularly in a big city like Chicago. But one of the biggest perks about DePaul is their first-year specialization programs. DePaul is the only school I've seen that has designated fiirst-year seminars in specific areas of law, one of which is Juvenile/Family law (same thing as Child law, just a different set of semantics). So, as a first year student you begin delving into an area of interest right away. They pair this with your required first-year legal writing course (see above), so your training in legal writing directly corresponds to juvenile and family law. Sounds cool, right? Now add in that they have a Special Education Advocacy clinical, and you're beginning to see the bridge between law and education, which is my end goal. This also really interests me because I enjoyed working with special education while teaching, and I think it is an area in need of reform. Too often, I think we just throw money at special education. I feel that this advocacy clinical targets the need for students to receive actual help, not just monetarily-provided support that doesn't help their specific needs.

Loyola-Chicago College of Law

Originally, Loyola was the last on my list of Chicago schools. When I started researching for my personal statement for this school, however, I learned about some amazing opportunities. First, they have something called the ChildLaw and Education Institute, which is a specifically designed part of the law school that works collaboratively with teachers and adminstrators about issues in the field of education. The interdisciplinary approach supports the use of specific courses, forums, and publications that are dedicated solely to looking at issues in education (like No Child Left Behind and other things that are at the forefront of public discourse on education). I like the collaborative approach because who knows better about the issues than teachers?

The other appealing thing about Loyola is their dual-degree program awarding you an J.D./M.A. in Comparative Law and Education. This degree means I would have a masters in education, specifically emphasizing legal issues facing schools (special education, denial of education for students who have been in the juvenile justice system, homelessness, and equitable funding to name a few). The cool thing comes into play with the J.D. This dual-degree program focuses on bridging the gap between education systems around the world. There are programs in Chile, Africa, Thailand, and India that provide support for achieving education for all children in those areas. The idea is that holders of that degree would be equipped to work with education systems around the world for the betterment of all students everywhere. Who doesn't love that?!

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The more I research, the more I feel this is really the path I am supposed to take. There are plenty of things going against me at this point (damn you, LSAT), but I know that everything happens for a reason. It is terrifying and exciting to think about all the possible routes this type of education could take me. Now, I really need to focus on my applications and get it done.

This probably means less time listening to Coldplay... or at least finding a better balance. What is life without fun, anyway? :)